Huntsville ASCE - UTCA

Solar Car Design Challenge

 

Introduction

You will experience first-hand the process of design. When you design your car, you will start with some ideas in your head and turn then into real-life models that work. Design is different than normal problem-solving, because:

o         you don’t know what the problems are (you discover and solve problems as you go along)

o        there is never one right answer

 

Your teacher will give you a box of materials and directions on the elements of building your car.  These are the basic steps involved:

  1. power source: how the solar panel and motor work
  2. chassis: how to build the frame of the car
  3. wheels and bearings: how to make wheels that turn
  4. transmission: how to transfer power from the motor to the wheels
  5. body design: how the car body  effects car performance

Race Rules and Regulations

Objective
The objective of the Junior Solar Sprint competition is to design and build a vehicle that will complete a race in the shortest possible time using the available power. The winner of the competition will be the team whose vehicle is the top finisher in a series of head to head elimination rounds.

Materials

  1. The motor and solar panel contained in the kit must be used without modification.
  2. The remainder of the vehicle must be your own design and can be made from any other materials.

Vehicle Specifications

  1. The vehicle must be safe for contestants and spectators (e.g. no sharp edges, projectiles, etc.).
  2. The vehicle must fit within the following dimensions: 30 centimeters (cm) x 60 cm x 30 cm.
  3. Decals of sponsoring organizations (provided by JSS) must be visible on the side of the car's body. A space of 3 cm x 3 cm must also be available on the side of the car where an assigned vehicle number can be placed.
  4. Sunlight will be the only power source for the vehicle. No batteries or energy storage devices are permitted.
  5. Any energy-enhancing devices, like mirrors, must be attached to the vehicle.
  6. The vehicle must be steered by the guide wire using one or more eyelets affixed to the vehicle. The vehicle must be easily removable from the guide wire without disconnecting the guide wire.
  7. The car must have a chassis that is three dimensional. Teams will NOT be allowed to bolt the axles and wheels of the car directly to the solar module. The solar module cannot be used as the chassis of the car.

 

 

Track Specifications

  1. The length of the race course is 20 meters over level terrain.
  2. Racing lanes must be at least 60 cm wide.
  3. A guide wire will be located in the center of each lane of the track and will not be more than 1.5 cm above the track surface.
  4. The track will be a hard, smooth, level surface such as a parking lot.

Race Conduct

  1. At race time, vehicles will be placed behind the starting line with all wheels in contact with the ground.
  2. The contestants must cover the solar module with an opaque material (e.g., a file folder) without touching the module.
  3. At the start of the race, the contestants will remove the opaque covering to allow the solar module to generate electricity for powering the vehicles.
  4. An early or push start may result in disqualification or re-running the race. The race judges will determine if a contestant is disqualified or if the race must be rerun.
  5. The race will start when the official signal is given. The winner of the race will be the first vehicle to cross the finish line or the farthest car down the lane.
  6. We will have several heats to allow for run offs.

 

ASCE – UTCA

 

 

Solar Car Challenge Entry Form

 

My class will participate in the Car Challenge

 

Teachers’ Name  _____________________________ 

 

Phone number __________

 

School name ______________________________________________

 

Grade ____________________

 

Number of teams (2-4 students pet team) ____________________

 

 

Best time for school visit from engineering professional _______________

                                                                                      Day /time

 

 

 

Return this form to Dr. Kate Leonard, Fax 824 6724 or email information Leonard@eng.uah.edu